Jharkhand Blood Banks Fail Patients, Demand Replaced Donations

Families in Jharkhand are facing severe difficulties in obtaining blood for patients with conditions like thalassaemia, often requiring multiple transfusions monthly. Activists report that hospitals are failing to organize adequate donation drives, forcing families to arrange replacement donors, sometimes at a high cost.

This practice, despite a Jharkhand High Court directive from December of last year mandating blood provision without the need for replacement, continues in most blood banks across the state. Concerns are raised that replacement donations can lead to unsafe blood entering the system, as donors may conceal medical history for financial gain. The National Blood Policy's requirement for hospitals to organize voluntary donation camps is reportedly not being met.

Jharkhand requires approximately 10 lakh blood units annually, but less than half are collected. Voluntary donations constitute only 15% of this collection, with the remainder sourced through replacement. This shortfall significantly impacts the availability of all blood types, with O- and AB- being particularly scarce in Ranchi. The health department is considering engaging a private agency to conduct donation camps due to manpower shortages preventing government blood banks from organizing frequent drives, a move welcomed but deemed too slow by advocates who stress the need for immediate intervention.